A stakeholder In the Traffic Awareness Forum, (TAF) Mr Toba Owolabi has flayed a Saturday Punch newspaper report captioned: “VIO sells number plates for 100,000 and 120,000.”
Owolabi countered this publication in a press statement issued to select media outfits.
He said: “In the first place the VIO do not produce number plates as the FRSC does. Categorically, from January this year to May, only thirty five thousand number plates were supplied to the FCT DRTS known as VIO, and many motorists In the country prefers to use the Abuja number other than those of their states.
Hence the pressure and periodical scarcity caused by low supply from FRSC and more demand by motorists.
“The Punch reporter stated that he disguised and got a VIO staff who agreed to contact the Director’s office for a number plate at the rate of 100 and 120, 000 naira, where is the evidence?
As a correspondent he should have marked the money or probably video or make audio recording of such dealings for clarity sake.
“The numbers in possession of the DRTS director’s office are reserved ones for official purposes because sometimes they are urgently required as security numbers. Anyone can claim to be working In the DRTS director’s office and indulge in unwholesome activity. The number plates reservation did not commence from this incumbent administration of this director.
“I want to state categorically that the newspaper misled Nigerians and such report should be disregarded. The DRTS also known as VIO shares the responsibility on number plates with the frsc as the producer that owns the production plant. The administration of the immediate past frsc boss witnessed hitches and reduction in number plates production as well as driver’s licence.
“We hope that the new corp marshal of the frsc will improve on number plates production and expedite action on driver’s licence release for collection.
“No one sells number plates for 100 and 120,000 naira. In every organisation,there exists bad eggs and DRTS cannot be an exception. The organisation management has zero tolerance for corruption.”